The Week of Apples and Honey

The past seven days were filled with the old colliding with the new. I coincidentally had the good fortune to meet several new, interesting people this week, and look forward to continuing to connect with them. And this week I also spent two days immersed in Jewish rituals that are thousands of years old. As the prophet Pete Seeger wrote, by way of the Book of Ecclesiastes, it has been "A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together."

Here's what captured my attention this week...

I'm reading:  I finished Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere and loved it. Now I've moved on to On a Farther Shore, William Souder's biography of Rachel Carson. The book has deepened my admiration for Carson as a nature writer, but to be quite honest Souder's descriptions of Carson's naiveté and tunnel vision have made me think that she is not someone with whom I would enjoy spending time. That was not the case with Kaitlyn Greenidge's op-ed in today's New York Times, about a family road trip to four historical sites that preserve and commemorate the contributions of important black women. I wish I had been invited along too.

I'm listening to: The most recent episode of the podcast Judaism Unbound features an interview with anthropologist Riv-Ellen Prell about the Havura movement of the 1970s. Prell not only provides a thorough overview of Jewish life and practice in the mid-twentieth century, she also masterfully identifies the continuities and deviations in how Jews have built community and advocated for change. She literally gave me goosebumps. #publichumanities #goals

I'm looking forward to watching: David Simon's The Deuce. 1970s New York City? Right up my alley.

What are you reading, listening to, or watching this week? 

Celebrating the Win

As I've written about in the past, I prefer to make resolutions and set goals at the Jewish New Year rather than on January 1. 

My goals for this past year, 5777, were to:

1. Finish writing my dissertation
2. Graduate to Avigail Oren, Ph.D.
3. Publish an article

Well, I nailed it. I spent last summer writing and polishing a paper that was accepted as a chapter in the forthcoming edited volume, The Ghetto in Global History: 1500 to the Present. I spent September through April frantically writing and editing the remainder of the dissertation. And on May 20th I walked to the middle of the stage at the Carnegie Music Hall and, crouching so my shorter advisor could reach over my graduation cap, received my doctoral hood and became Dr. Oren, Jr. in front of my closest friends and family members. 

Blurry iPhone photo courtesy of Dr. Oren, Sr.

I know so many people who describe their wedding as the best day of their life, but for me graduation unquestionably wins. 

Photo by Sergey Zlotnikov

So 5777 was a year of big goals, and big celebrations. This coming year, 5778, will be one of big changes, and big risks, but hopefully also big fun. 

My Sunday Morning Ritual

My husband teases me relentlessly about my Sunday routine. I get up, grab the New York Times from the front stoop, make coffee, put on jazz, and sit at the dining room table in the seat right in front of the window, where the sunshine is brightest. I get it. I'm a caricature of an academic. 

Unlike my life as an academic, however, in my new life as a teacher and entrepreneur I cannot be an expert on only one narrow topic. I need to be informed about the broad range of contemporary issues that interest my students, that Living Room Learners want to discuss, and that my editing clients are writing about. And that necessity is a pleasure, especially when it's paired with coffee and a good album. 

One of the greatest joys I've discovered since finishing my doctorate is the freedom to read widely and to explore new topics without feeling guilty. In order to get the dissertation written expediently, I had to narrow my reading to journalism and history. Over the past two years I picked up novels infrequently, and rarely made it through non-fiction books outside my particular area of study. But this year I have read a book about being an astronaut and one about surfing. I've read three books about the Kardashians, and three decades of David Sedaris's diaries. I've read about the rise of women in the American economy, and women poisoners in seventeenth century France, and a graphic novel about Harriet Tubman. I've read two novels whose protagonists are immigrant women, and two novels where the fictionalized capers of prominent 20th century intellectuals are central to the plot. And, most Sundays, I read the New York Times. 

Here's what captured my attention this morning...

I'm reading: This op-ed in the today's New York Times, "The Nazi's First Victims Were the Disabled," makes a persuasive historical argument for why we must defend the rights of frontline communities. And last night I started Celeste Ng's new book, Little Fires Everywhere, which I chose as my Book of the Month for September. It's been getting great buzz, including a shoutout from NPR's Barrie Hardymon on Pop Culture Happy Hour. 

I'm listening to: I was in the mood for something a little different this morning and put on two great albums by the Argentine band Femina. Spotify then led me to this amazing album by the band El Kuelgue that's unlike anything I've heard recently. 

I'm looking forward to watching: Ken Burn's documentary The Vietnam War premiers on PBS tonight. I'm not a huge Ken Burns fan, but I've been hearing good buzz about the film and frankly could stand to brush up on this conflict. 

What are you reading, listening to, or watching this week? 

Mexico City Recommendations

My parents and I spent Memorial Day weekend exploring Mexico City (#CDMX) for the first time. With only two full days to sightsee, we managed to walk through quite a bit of the Historic District, Colonia Roma (where we stayed), and the charming neighborhood of Coyoacán. Here were our highlights and recommendations:

Museo del Templo Mayor

After walking through the Zócalo--the expansive central square bordered by the National Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, and Federal Buildings--we decided to tour the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor. My father decided to hire a guide registered with the Secretaria de Turismo to take us through the site. Our guide--J. Jaime Baez Jasso (jaixtla_tlalpan@hotmail.com), who we would definitely recommend--walked us through the entire archeological excavation and explained the cosmology and social hierarchy of Aztec society, described the Aztec gods and the rituals that honored them, and pointed out elements from the seven stages of the temple's construction. After two hours, we left with a much deeper understanding of pre-colonial Mexico.

Jaime Baez Jasso

Zinco Jazz Club

Before leaving on the trip, I made a reservation for us to spend Saturday evening at the Zinco Jazz Club. Over drinks, tapas, and tacos, we heard the spectacularly talented house band play big-band classics by Buddy Rich. The talent was A+, the service and food were solid, but the space is tight and it was very warm despite the air conditioner running constantly. We would highly recommend it as a destination for a winter/spring visit to CDMX. 

Museo Casa de Leon Trostky

My father, the political scientist, really wanted to see where Trotsky lived out his life in exile in Mexico. My mother and I, while not reluctant, had less investment in the visit--nevertheless, we found it surprisingly enjoyable! As a museum, it's very basic. The house, however, has been preserved and looks as it did in 1940 when Trotsky was assassinated. It's remarkable to walk through and see how sparely he and his wife lived in order to live rich intellectual lives. Trotsky's study and the room where his secretaries worked were filled with books in Russian, Spanish, and English. The walls were also filled with bullet holes from an unsuccessful assassination attempt made in 1939. Although the home is surrounded by a beautiful garden in a charming neighborhood, the presence of the bullet holes, the steel doors and bricked in windows, and the rooms for Trotsky's bodyguards make it easy to imagine how limited Trotsky's life must have been and how little he was able to take advantage of his surroundings. 

Leon Trotsky's Study, Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

Going to the Movie Theater

One of my favorite things to do when traveling abroad is to go to the movies. It provides insight into how the middle class in that country lives and what their film culture is like, but more practically it's an air-conditioned, comfortable place with clean bathrooms where you can spend two hours recovering from a day of walking and sightseeing. In the chic neighborhood where were staying in CDMX, Colonia Roma, the movie theater was resplendent. Like in Argentina, my only Latin American comparison, you purchase specific seats in the theater. Although they did not recline, the seats were as big as armchairs. Someone came around with an iPad to take our orders for concessions--if only we had known it was an option, we would not have waited in line for a Pepsi. The downside, however, was that the previews included many more commercials than are typically shown before a movie in the United States. In case you were wondering, we saw ¡Huye!

Parque México

On our last morning, we took a long walk before heading to the airport. From our AirBnb in Colonia Roma, we headed towards Colonia Condesa and the Parque Mexico. Entering the park on a the verdant path, we saw these extraordinary covered wooden benches every few feet. Numerous dog walkers led the most organized and obedient packs of dogs up and down the paths. And then, just ahead of us, we found the densest, most well-equipped outdoor gym that we have ever seen. I have seen exercise equipment in parks around the world, but this one had the widest variety of equipment packed into one area--it truly looked like a floor of a Crunch or Planet Fitness had been dropped into the middle of an urban jungle. We couldn't resist trying out a few. If we'd only known, we would have packed workout clothes and come every morning!

Ph.inally D.one

My department does not require a dissertation defense, and so all I had to do was email my department's Graduate Administrator a giant .docx file for him to upload into the library's database. With my signature--and those of my committee, of course--I officially became Dr. Oren.* 

*The Dean went home early that Friday, technically leaving me in candidate limbo until Monday, April 10. 

The past month has been surreal. It's been a relief to finally get a break from the dissertation, and I've used the time to read novels, catch up on some personal writing projects, and spend quality time with friends. One dear friend even made my day by calling me from the office to catch up--when I asked how he was able to take a personal call at the office, he said he wrote "Conversation with Dr. Oren" on his calendar. Days later, and I'm still tickled by the story. 

I'm still unsure about what I'll be doing, professionally, after the summer. What I can report is that I will be co-editing the blog of the Urban History Association, The Metropole, and publishing more content here on my personal blog. I have some exciting posts coming up on both sites, so stay tuned.

Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout graduate school and the dissertation. I could not have done it without your generosity, affirmation, and love.